Out Of My Head
by Black Jinx
Summary: She always heard the voices, ever since the moment she was born. Every day, those voices seem to get louder. Sometimes they argued, sometimes they were quiet. But they were still there. And more real than she could ever imagine.
1. The Warmth Within

**_Title: _**_Out Of My Head_

_**Author:** Black Jinx_

_**Rating:** T_

_**Summary: **Rose always heard voices. Two of them, to be exact. One of them always told her to be good, kind, and gentle to those she came across. The other told her to be mean, be cruel, and hurt people if she really wanted to get her way. When she questions about these voices, it turns out that she is the body containing two of the most powerful beings in existence._

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own KarakuriDouji ULTIMO or any of it's characters. All oc's belong to their rightful owners._

_**A/N:** Thank you, SapphirestarXD, for supporting the story idea. It's greatly appreciated, as I was really unsure about writing a story on it._

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><p><em><strong>*~*Once you love someone, they stay in your heart. *~*<br>*~* Forever. *~***_

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><p><strong>Choice of Music: Music Boxes and Baby Lullabies<strong>

**Chapter 1 - The Warmth Within**

Machi sat with her head against the cool window, feeling the warmth of the spring sun warming her skin slowly. The chordes of a music box tune played within the room as she flipped through a book of names, whilest one hand gently stroked the bulge of her stomach. She hummed along with the melodic tune, knowing the full song by heart.

The music box itself wasn't actually in the shape of a box, but resembled more like a jar of soft pink roses, protected by the fake glass containing them. They stood upon a golden pedestal that, when twisted correctly and gently, played the pretty chime that Machi had remembered ever since she was a little girl. The gift was handed down through family, and soon, she would be handing it down to her own child.

"Aika?" she wondered. "No, that doesn't sound right. Maybe Kaede? Leiko? Or how about Mariko? Nami or Nori?" Sighing, the woman shut the book and ran a finger through her long black hair. "No, none of those sound any good, huh baby?"

Almost as though responding, she felt a small kick upon the palm of her hand. She smiled, feeling the warmth of the unborn child within her womb. The faux fortune teller heard the final notes of the song playing before the song stopped.

Reaching over, she picked up the trinket and slowly twisted the pedestal three times. The song began to play once more as she replaced it back upon its shelf, once more humming along with the tune. As the small case began to turn, she watch the pink roses move silently with it. 'Rose,' she thought. 'Rose. That's a pretty name.'

Looking around the room, she remembered all the time she and some of the gang members had spent into decorating the nursery. The room was decorated with wallpaper of a cream color with several paintings of delicate butterfiles and gorgeous flowers. A small crib with a pink blanket with an animal pattern sat folded upon the mattress along with a small stuffed teddy bear, complete with a red velvet bow.

Machi could feel the eagerness, the feeling that the baby just couldn't get here soon enough. The woman had even quite her smoking habit once she found out that she was with-child, and Hiroshi's child at that.

It was a good thing that the both of them never really stayed in contact with family members. She and her boyfriend of over two years weren't married, yet alone engaged, and she had his child on the way. It didn't matter though, the family issue.

The good Douji Masters had been told of their situation, and each and every one of them were excited to see the new baby. Even Slow, her former Douji, had gathered some of her close friends and held a shower for her. Machi never cried much, but the hormones released from her pregnancy caused her to weep with happiness that day. Despite being happy at the new addition coming to their "family", she did carry that one fear with her whenever she left the safety of the building.

'What if Vice found out?' she wondered. 'If any of the evil Douji found out?'

She remembered her memories from before, the ones of her past life. Machi had been with-child once back then, too. The happiness, the excitement, she could remember every bit of it so vividly.

Even when Vice had found her. Slow wasn't able to stop him as the epitome of evil had ripped the unborn child from her womb and killed it. The woman had been forced to watch her own child's death before her own befell her.

Her heart quickened its pace at the grotesque memory, and it seemed as though the child could sense it. There was an unnatural stillness in her belly, as though it shared their mother's worries.

"Nothing's going to happen to you, baby," Machi stated, rubbing the bulge of her stomach. "Mommy won't let him take you from me again." She could feel the infant start to move, most likely an attempt to make itself more comfortable.

"How you doin', Mach?" she heard a male voice ask her. She turned her head to see Babylon, the bald member of their gang, looking in on her in the nursery.

"I'm fine," she said. "Just a bad memory, that's all."

Babylon flashed her an okay, and he retreated from the room. Looking at the clock, she noticed that there was still a few more hours to go before Hiroshi would be back at their apartment. He had started going to see Pardonner several times a week to see if he could start walking again, trying to find a way to move his limbs once more. _"I would actually like to be able to hold my daughter at least once," Hiroshi stated. "I want to be able to hold my little girl." _And now he was dead set of getting full use of his limbs again.

Machi yawned, standing from the chair. "I think Mommy needs a nap, sweetie," she stated, walking towards the bedroom that she and Hiroshi shared. Climbing into the bed, she gently pulled the sheets up to her waist, laying on her side. Slowly but surely, she could feel herself drifting off to sleep, all the while keeping one hand upon her unborn baby. "Rose. My little Rose."

**Please review! I'm deeply sorry if anything or anyone sounds OOCish or anything.**


	2. A Little Rose

**Choice of Music: My Precious One - Celine Dion**

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><p><strong>*~* A mother's joy begins when new life is stirring inside… when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone. *~*<strong>  
><strong>*~* Anonymous *~*<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 - A Little Rose<strong>

Vice snickered slowly to himself, thinking of each and every malicious idea that ran through his mind. News had reached him of the former Slow Master, Machi Shina, was healthy and well, having escaped from his last encounter with him. Not only that, but she was pregnant now and almost to the term.

He remembered listening to her screams and sobs, tearing through skin and placenta to reach her womb and the child. The little runt never had a chance to live. But once more, she was pregnant. And more people meant more possible Masters for those fucking Good Douji.

The malevolent green Douji sneered to himself. If he was lucky, he could get both of them in one go, effectively slice her in half at the middle.

"Vice-san," K asked from the kitchen, "what's so funny?"

"None of your fucking business, K," he simply growled in return. "Just finish making my fucking meal. I've got to do some fucking work soon."

"Work? What kind of work?"

"I fucking said it was none of your fucking business!" he roared, slamming a clawed fist into the wall. The sound of glass shattering in the kitchen was the only reply he received from his so-called "Master", and then it was only silence. Fucking K had ruined the good mood Vice was in earlier when he first found out by actually being _happy_ that she was with-child.

Leaning back, the Ultimate Evil stared up at the ceiling. 'So,' he thought. 'If she actually made it to term, I wonder what she's have. Girl or boy?'

Realizing what he was thinking, Vice smacked himself, trying to drive any innocent thoughts from his mind. "Doesn't matter, just kill her and the brat and be done with it," he mumbled.

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><p>"Well, Machi. Have you found a name for her yet?" Hiroshi asked, sitting on one end of their couch. The street punk gently massaged Machi's feet, waiting for an answer. His movements were somewhat slow and weak, but he was gaining back his strength more and more, little by little.<p>

"I've looked through all the books that Makoto brought us," she stated, speaking of the high schooler by her first name. "But nothing I found really looks good."

"You kept saying 'rose' in your sleep when I arrived home. Honestly, I think you found one for her."

"But it's not Japanese."

"I don't think it has to be," he said, rubbing the woman's ankle. "It's a beautiful name, and it will suite her. No doubt about it."

"She'll probably have her Daddy's hair," Machi said, flipping through a magazine that modeled baby clothes for little girls.

"If she has my hair, then Rose will most likely have her Mama's lovely eyes."

Machi blushed slightly, somewhat happy that the hormones made her a little too emotional than she really was known for. Her breath hitched slightly when she felt another faint kick inside of her. "Look's like Rose knows her Daddy's here."

The woman felt his large hand gently touch her stomach. Laying her hand upon his, the black haired woman slowly guided his hand to where she had felt the infant kick. Resting their hands there, they both waited, seeing if the little one would repeat her action.

There! Another small bump as Rose kicked once more. "Hey there, sweetie," she heard Hiroshi whisper. "Daddy can't wait to see you. I think you need to spend more time with Daddy, you've been in there long enough."

Machi let out a small laugh as she felt a small squirming movement, as though she was trying to reply to her father's words. "I think she wants to see you too," she smiled.

"Well, she should be due soon, isn't she?" Hiroshi asked, wrapping an arm aroung Machi's shoulders.

"I saw Dr. Shakuji a couple days ago," she stated. "He said that the baby should be ready within the next few weeks. If something happens, Pardonner will be ready to help if need be."

The oldest member of their Good Douji club, Shakuji Koun, had retired once Machi and Hiroshi had found out that she was pregnant, and during his retirement had offered to help deliver the infant along with Pardonner. The Douji of Patience had found himself a new Master, Matsumoto Kiyose, during this time. Luckily, she was also ready to help should the need arise.

"I'm glad, Hiroshi," Machi sighed, leaning against her boyfriend. "I still don't know how I came to be the Master of a Good Douji, but I am very glad that I did."

"I am too," he replied, rubbing her shoulder.

The woman let out another sigh of content. Despite her worry of the Evil Douji, there whereabouts, and the safety of her unborn child; she was happy with the situation. She had a good home, a job, and someone to love who loved her in return. Not only that, but she carried his child along with her. They had friends who were willing and able to help out with the baby, to help her and protect her.

If she hadn't had any of those, she wasn't sure if she would have been able to carry the child. If she did, it could have been sickly or she would have given it up to a couple who wanted a child but couldn't have one of their own.

Machi felt another kick, but it felt different. It felt more like a tightening of her stomach, like she had when she had menstrual cramps. In no time, the pain went away. She felt her body relax. It was just probably a small contraction, she recieved those a couple times a month throughout her pregnancy.

Suddenly, she felt that tightening again, only that it increased in pain levels. Machi hissed, placing a hand to where she felt them begin.

"Machi, you okay?" Hiroshi asked, holding her shoulders.

"I'm fine, Hiroshi," she stated. "Just a little - ah!" Another wave of pain crashed through her stomach, and the woman felt as though something wet was running down her legs. Did her water break? "I think," she struggled. "I think Rose is ready."

"We need to get you to a hospital now," he said, standing from the couch. Machi tried to stand also until Hiroshi gently sat her back down. "Just stay here and relax, Mach," he spoke with a worried urgency in his voice. "I'm going to call Shakuji-san and let him know what's going on. Tokorozawa and Darumada will take you up to the hospital."

The woman watched silently as he left the room in a hurry, probably to find a phone. She tried to breath slowly, seeing if she could relax the pain away. Her hand ran across the moistness upon the inside of her thighs and was slightly excited for the baby. But why had Hiroshi sounded so worried, like something terrible was happening?

Machi shrugged it off. 'Maybe he's just got jitters because she's coming,' she thought. She lifted her hand to itch a small, irritated spot on her neck; and saw bright, red blood dripping from her fingers.

She felt her heart stop. Struggling to sit up, Machi could see the crimson liquid soaking through the crotch of her pants and down her legs, seeping through to the couch. Her breathing increased as her heart started to beat rapidly.

Was she going to lose her baby?

**Please review. I'm sorry for any OOCness.**


	3. Breath of Life

**Choice of Music: My Precious One - Celine Dion**

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><p><strong>*~* A baby means everything in a mother's life. *~*<strong>  
><strong>*~* Anonymous *~*<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 - Breath of Life<strong>

_Screams of pain. The cry of a child. _Machi tried to keep her eyes open, tried to focus on her surroundings. She felt so dizzy, like the world was swaying around her. "Hang on, Machi-san," she heard someone tell her. The faux fortune teller closed her eyes, falling back into oblivion.

The contractions were painful now, almost to the point of being unbearable. Machi heaved lungfuls of air, desperately wanting it to subside. She felt a cool cloth on her forehead, trying to calm her. "Please be patient, Machi-san," a voice told her. "We are trying all we can."

"Baby?" she choked out. "Where's my baby?"

"She'll be fine, Machi-san," Pardonner said, rubbing the hand that was once a gauntlet across her head. "It's just labor contractions. They can last for a few hours before the actual delivery." The woman simply nodded, acknowledging the fact that she heard his words. The Douji of Patience walked away, removing the cloth from her forehead. "I'll be back with more water, Machi-san."

Exiting the room, Pardonner silently thought to himself. The former Slow Master had never been pregnant before, never carried a child; and her first was proving to be more difficult that it should have been. The woman was running a high fever whilst the blood that left her body carried pieces of tissue in it. It was extremely rare, if not impossible, for a spontaneous abortion to take place so far into the pregnancy.

"Well, Pardonner?" Kiyose asked him, relieving him of the bowl. "What's going on?"

"Nothing new has occured, but her contractions have only increased," the Douji stated. "I fear that the fetus may be stillborn, with as much blood she has lost-"

"Shh!" the teenager hushed him, speaking in a harsh whisper. "Don't speak like that in front of Machi-san! And where's Shakuji-sensei? Shouldn't he be here soon?"

"I'm afraid his whereabouts are unknown right now," a blue haired, yellow eyed Douji stated. "Hiroshi and Ekoda went to go pick him up, but they have yet to return."

"Well," Kiyose said, tying a hospital apron around her neck. "If they don't get here soon, we'll deliver it ourselves."

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><p>Machi closed her eyes, feeling a slight relief from the once constant contractions. Swallowing slightly, she put a hand over her stomach, where Rose was. Moving her lips, she half hummed, half-whispered the lyrics to a common lullaby she remembered as a child.<p>

"Hush little baby, don't say a word. Ma-." Another contraction, making her hiss in pain. Trembling, she started again. "Hush little baby don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird."

_"Do you need help?" a voice asked her. It sounded sinister, and yet kind._

"And if that mockingbird won't sing, Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring." She winced on almost every other lyric, the tightening and relaxing of her contractions dancing in her womb. A squirming feeling, like something trying to break free of it's cuccoon.

_"We can help," they spoke. "We can help your baby."_

_"Would you do anything for your baby, Machi Shina?" an elderly voice asked her._

"How are we doing, Machi-san?" Machi turned her head to see Matsumoto Kiyose look over. "Is it almost time?" The woman simply nodded her head.

Another contraction, only this time it felt as though the pain ripped throughout her entire abdomen. She let out a cry of pain, gripping the side of the bed. Oh god did it hurt! Machi felt that darkness creeping upon her, threatening to swallow her again.

"Machi-san, we need you to stay awake, please!" Kiyose spoke. The words surrounding her seemed to blur around her, merely droning out into a simple dull noise.

_"We - I - can help your baby. Would you like that?"_

Once more Machi nodded her head. One final severe pain tore throughout her body, causing her to scream. She lay her head back upon the pillow, rivulets of sweating soaking her body.

The crying of a newborn infant, her screams echoing in the metal room. A bright smile came upon Kiyose's face as she received the pale towel from Pardonner, who stood near his Master accordingly. Small specks of blood lay on towel as the teenager walked slowly over to the woman.

"Say hi to your Mama, little one," she smiled, gently handing the tiny bundle to her. Machi forced herself to sit up as she received the pink bundle, looking down at the new infant. The newborn had dark pink to a red skintone, a small point to her head, and her arms were still slightly scrunched from being in the womb for so long. She wailed, waving her tiny fists in the air as she gulped in her first lungfuls of air.

"She'll have to be given a bath and her fingernails clipped. Either tomorrow or within the next few days, you both will be able to go home," Kiyose smiled, giving a polite bow to both the mother and child. "Congradulations."

"Hey, sweetie," Machi cooed, stroking a finger tenderly against on of the beating fists. She could even feel the feeble kicking underneath the cover of the towel. "Mommy finally gets to really meet you." Tiny fingers curled themselves around her finger, seeming miniscule in size. "When Daddy gets here, you'll be able to meet him too."

Listening to the soothing voice of her mother, the infant slowly began to calm down. Not even within an hour of her birth, the newborn had drifted off to sleep. Even though she slept, she still hadn't released her mother from her grip.

"My little one," she whispered. "My precious little Rose."

**What a shitty birthing scene -_- Please review! Sorry if anything is OOC.**


	4. Gifts and Guests

**Choice of Music: My Precious One - Celine Dion, Baby Lullabys, Where Are You Christmas? - Taylor Momsen**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 - Gifts and Guests<strong>

_Darkness. Vice looked around, as though searching a way out of it. It was almost like as before, right before he was unleashed into the world. Back when he was in that vile test tube, surrounded by a putrid liquid, unable to breathe._

_He could sense other presences around him. A good soul lingered not far from him, almost as though he could just reach out and grab it. "Who's there?" he called. "Show yourself."_

_A small hesitation, then "Vice?"_

_That voice! He knew it was Ultimo's, no doubt about it. But why was Ultimo here? Was everything that Vice remembered, everything from the past nine hundred years, a dream?_

_He could feel his body being subdued by sleep, sheer waves of exhaustion flowing over him. 'No, no I will not fall asleep!' he willed himself to stay awake. His golden eyes slowly closed, feeling as though they weighed over thousands of pounds._

_Sleep._

The small infant lay sleeping in the small hospital crib, the walls clear around her. Not far from her in the room lay her mother, who had also fallen asleep. The birthing had exhausted the woman, and now she rested. Around the newborn was a soft pink blanket, brought from her crib at home to wrap her in after her first bath. Blood and dead tissue had been washed away from her skin, yet it still had a pink hue to it.

The baby, Rose, gave out a small gurgle as she opened her eyes, squirming a little within her little cocoon. Her dark eyes looked around the hospital room, not knowing or fully seeing what was held there. A noise of sorts, and she tried to twist herself to see the source.

"Hello, little one," a voice spoke. The baby did not understand the words, did not fully hear them. Not for the next few months would she truly recognize the meanings of the things around her.

"My, my, you really are quite little, aren't you?" that same voice asked her. An elderly man, who held a long ponytail of grey hair and held glasses upon his face, looked into the small crib. "Welcome to the world, little Rose-chan," he spoke once again. She had managed to release her arms from the wrapping, waving her little fists into the air.

"So young, so innocent," Dunstan spoke, watching the small infant move.

"All human infants are, Doctor," the boy replied. Long silver hair also tied into a ponytail, purple visors gently framed his eyes. He wore a simple kimono top and a silver hakama. A strip of cloth hung in front, an emblem of a dragon imprinted onto it. "If we are here when Shina-san awakes, it will not fair well."

"Yes, I know," he spoke, not once removing his eyes from the baby girl. Rose let out a yawn, showing teethless gums. As a newborn, her body could only hold so much energy before it would be time to sleep again. Her eyes closed as she fell back into her slumber.

Gently wrapping his fingers around one arm, Dunstan slowly slid on a small silver band onto her tiny wrist. "It will grow with you, little one," he whispered. "In time you'll understand what they mean, and what you really are." As the bracelet touched her skin, a small bead of rubies emerged from the bright metal. Repeating this action with the other hand, the second bracelet produced the same effect. Only this time, instead of rubies, a ring of emeralds emerged.

Releasing her arm, he gently wrapped her back up within the security of her blanket. "Good luck, little one," Dunstan spoke. "You might need it."

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><p>"Ah, look at her," Matoko cooed as she held onto the tiny girl, gently playing with her hands. "Hello, Rose-chibi-chan," she giggled. Machi watched as the teenage girl carefully held onto the infant, sitting in the chair not far from her. Instead of the usual school uniform, Sayama Matoko wore a pair of form fitting jeans and a baggy t-shirt.<p>

What people around her didn't know: Matoko was also with-child. The once "good girl" was second champion in her school golf club, top of her class, and the new Master of Regula. But she decided to have a small shindig with her ex-boyfriend, Akira Hidaka, and now suffered the consequences for it. The teenage girl had decided on giving a good future to her soon child, and would give him or her up for adoption. Akira Hidaka didn't know, and Makoto wouldn't tell him.

"Aren't you excited for your own, Matoko-chan?" Machi asked, relieving her of the baby girl. Rose had started to become fussy, and squirmed around in the others arms. It was still strange, the feeling of breast feeding a baby, but the woman felt like she would get used to it.

"Yes and no," she shrugged. "I still have a while to go, though. I'm only in my first month."

"They'll fly by, Matoko," Machi stated. "You'll wonder where it's all gone before you know it." There was a silence in the room between the two females, other than the occasional sound coming from underneath the blanket covering Rose. "Have you told Yamato yet?" she asked.

The teenage girl shook her head no, eyes casted towards the floor. "He'll have to know sometime."

"What if he..," Matoko started. "What if he doesn't want to be with me? If I'm pregnant?"

"He's been chasing your skirt since you two were in elementary school," the older woman scolded. "I don't think a baby would make him not want to be with you. If anything else, he would be _more_ protective of you then." Matoko nodded her head, trusting the words of the older.

There was a ruckus outside the room, and both heads twisted towards the direction of the door. "Hold on, not so many at a time!" they heard Kiyose panicking on the other side. "And why are you guys here anyways? You're evil!"

At those words, Machi curled her arm protectively around her infant. Evil Masters? Here? "Easy, Shina-san," Matoko stated. "I'll go see what's going on." The teenage girl walked carefully towards the door, whilst the woman held onto her baby carefully. She would not let anyone who intended to harm her child come within ten feet of them.

"Sayama-san?" a male voice spoke, knocking at the door. "Sayama-san, you there?"

Speaking of the devil, it seemed as though Yamato had arrived also. "Machi-san's got some special visitors, though I don't know how or why they got here." The boy knocked again, though now it sounded like pounding. "They want to see Machi-san's baby."

"Hold on, Yamato-kun!" Matoko fretted, hurrying towards the door. Opening it a crack, the teenage girl carefully slipped out into the hallway without letting anyone in. "Who's bright idea was it to tell them that Machi was pregnant?"

Machi listened to the conversation, trying to figure out where what ends met. A deep inhale, then "Machi told Hiroshi, who told the Club of Good Douji, where you and the new Masters found out, then Oume was so excited it leaked out at school, then Rune heard it, where then it was told to Jealous, who said it to Rage, who told his Master, that told Akira, and Akira blurted it out at their last Evil Douji meeting."

Wow. Talk about a mouthful. She was surprised he didn't yell, he did have a loud voice. "However, they all want to see Machi-san's new baby, but Vice isn't here." Cocking an eyebrow, Machi listened carefully.

"What do you mean "Vice isn't here,"?" Matoko questioned.

"I don't know," another male voice stated, almost sounding confused. "He was at the apartment last night, but he was gone this morning." Machi took a really estimated guess, and proposed that the voice belonged to the Vice Master himself, K.

Poking her head back into the room, Matoko looked at the faux fortune teller questioningly. "Well?" she asked. "Would you like visitors?"

Thinking of the pros and cons, she slowly nodded her head. "Not all at once though," she said.

"Got it. You, you, and you," she said, pointing to three unknown people. "You're first."

Machi gently unconvered her now sleeping infant as her "guests" lined up to meet the tiny girl.

**Please review!**


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